Known as much for his acidic personality as his confrontational rock 'n' roll, Reed in 2008 recalled the founding mission statement that would define the Velvet Underground, a group heralded for its tales of urban depravity.

Speaking at the Austin, Texas, music industry conference South by Southwest, Reed said the band was forbidden from playing blues or R&B licks, wanting the act to stand as a direct contrast to much of what was popular in the mid-'60s.

"This is going to be city," Reed said of the Velvet Underground. "This is going to be pure."

Some of the act's best known songs include "Sweet Jane," "I'm Waiting for the Man" and "Heroin."

Rock critic Robert Hilburn, who wrote much about Lou Reed during his more than 30 years at the Los Angeles Times, told The Times on Sunday that of all the people he had interviewed over the years, Reed was the most different from his public image.